Chapter 254 I Have Seen Your Bastard Son
Three days later, the Temple envoys arrived as scheduled.
This time, only two people came: the Archbishop and the young Holy Envoy with the eye patch.
Everyone else in the palace hall was dismissed, leaving only the three of them to face each other.
"Has Your Majesty thought it through?"
Doto's face was pale. "I have thought it over carefully these past three days... This empire, if you want it, just take it. I can give up everything here, as long as I can keep my son."
The Archbishop was also stunned for a moment, looking at the young Holy Envoy beside him.
The young man spoke, "Your Majesty has worked diligently these years, governing the empire in an orderly manner. We have all seen it. No one is more suitable than you to be the ruler of this country."
He then looked at the little lion in Doto's arms.
"If you don't have the empire as a bargaining chip, Your Majesty really won't be able to keep your heir."
"What exactly do you want to do!" Doto's suppressed anger of several days completely erupted.
These people of the Temple, arrogant and condescending, wanted to take his son away from him so casually. On what basis!
He only had this one son left. Why should even his son be taken away?
"Everything else, I can give you, except for him!"
Hefis jumped down from Doto's arms and pleaded to the two Holy Envoys, "Please, don't take me away. I won't go with you! I only want to stay by Father's side. If you... if you forcibly take me away, I! I'll just kill myself by smashing into something!"
After saying that, he really sized up his surroundings, selected a clean, sturdy pillar, and, pushing off with his hind legs, made a gesture to charge towards it.
"Heh." The young man seemed amused, and with a wave of his hand, a golden barrier blocked the way.
So young, yet already threatening people.
Naturally, Hefis didn't really want to crash into it; he was just trying to scare them.
But if he was really pushed to the limit, a child's impulsive nature might lead to something regrettable.
The Archbishop was also somewhat at a loss.
If the child was determined not to go with them, there was nothing they could do. Forcibly taking him might backfire, causing this rare and precious heir to resent them. This was not what the Temple wanted to see.
The young man's voice was gentle and refined, "If His Highness doesn't want to leave, we won't force it. But please, Your Majesty, remember that the only faith of the Angel race is the Temple. They serve the Temple for generations, dedicating everything to the Temple, even... their lives."
Doto's face was icy. Wasn't this just making him declare an oath, making him, and Hefis who would inherit the throne in the future, making the entire Arans Empire a loyal lackey of theirs.
He looked at the ignorant child, and after a long silence, he said in a hoarse voice, "Alright."
Now, the Archbishop nodded in satisfaction, "In that case, the Temple can also rest assured that the heir will grow up in the empire. However, we still need to trouble Your Majesty to hand the child over to us first. We must take the child back to the Temple for his Enlightenment. After the Enlightenment, we will send him back to Your Majesty."
Doto naturally knew about the Angel race's inheritance Enlightenment. Beastmen who had not received the Angel race's inheritance before transforming, even if they awakened the Angel's bloodline, would not be able to possess the bloodline power.
He had also figured it out last night. Hefis was his most precious bloodline, and he could risk his life for this child... He couldn't forcibly cut off his wings to fly to the sky for his own selfish desires.
"Alright, I trust the Temple's decision, but I also ask the Temple to make a Heaven and Earth Covenant with me to ensure that the child is returned to me after the Enlightenment is completed."
The Archbishop, "Naturally, it can be done. I will personally make a covenant with Your Majesty. Please rest assured, Your Majesty."
Doto turned his head and looked at the young Holy Envoy in the simple white robe beside the Archbishop. His attire was no different from the other Holy Envoys, but instinct told him that this person was definitely not simple. Even the Archbishop faintly showed respect towards him.
"I want to make a Heaven and Earth Covenant with this Holy Envoy."
Just as the Archbishop was about to speak sternly, the young man raised his hand to stop him and said in a gentle voice, "As Your Majesty wishes."
A golden, grand magic circle appeared under their feet, and then the magic circle turned into a stream of light and disappeared into the void.
The Heaven and Earth Covenant was completed.
"Now, Your Majesty can rest assured and hand over your heir to us." The young man reached out to him.
A slender white hand stretched out from the complex and heavy holy robe, with distinct joints, as beautiful as an artwork carefully crafted by the gods.
"Hefis, come here." Doto squatted down, picked up the little lion that ran over, looked at him earnestly for a long time, kissed him on the head, and handed the child over to them with a cold face.
The young man held the tense little lion in his arms, his beautiful slender fingers gently stroking his soft fur, seemingly unintentionally asking, "Who is this child's mother beast?"
Doto's face changed slightly, his voice extremely cold, "She passed away unexpectedly during childbirth. She died many years ago."
"Oh, is that so? What a poor child..." The young man's fingers fell in front of the little lion's eyes, and the child unknowingly fell asleep in his arms.
Doto's heart suddenly rose, and seeing that the child was fine and just fell asleep, he barely calmed down, "Please, Holy Envoy, return the child as promised."
"Rest assured, Your Majesty."
The two took the child and disappeared into the void, leaving.
Doto looked in the direction they left, watching for a long time, before his whole body seemed to slowly lose strength, sliding down the wall to the ground.
......
Beyond the world, the Temple.
The young man carried the child into a courtyard.
A beautiful female angel was watering flowers in the backyard.
She had a head of radiant, flowing golden hair, rose-pink eyes, and wore a veil, making it easy to glimpse her soft and delicate face. The pair of closed white wings behind her made people hold their breath, too sacred and beautiful to look at directly.
"Aunt Anano, I have brought back the cub lost outside."
"You went down yourself." The female took the watering can from her hand and looked towards the door.
"After all, it is a rare bloodline within the clan." The young man casually picked a red rose, his voice low and pleasant, like a cello being played slowly, "Also, I have seen your bastard son who was lost outside. He turned out to be..."
The female's soft face suddenly turned ferocious, interrupting sharply, "Don't mention him to me!"
"So many years have passed."
Anano sneered, "I will never forget this stain in my life, giving birth to such a mixed-blood bastard. Back then! I should have strangled him directly!"
Her emotions became more and more frantic, "As long as he lives for one day, I will remember his damned disgusting father beast! How he treated me back then! Not only did he imprison me in the palace for so many years! He also killed Mishius!"
The young man, "Egalie Arans died seven years, one month, and three days ago."
Anano's expression gradually calmed down.
After a moment, she only said one sentence.
"Good riddance!"
"Please take a look at this child, Aunt. His Angel race bloodline is inherited from you." The young man handed the sleeping little lion in his arms to her.
Anano's face was cold, "Another unlucky lion."
Saying she was disgusted, her hand stretched out and hugged her little grandson.
The young man chuckled, "Very cute, isn't he?"
When Anano stroked the white wings on the little lion's back, her pupils suddenly dilated, as if she had seen something terrifying, throwing the little lion in her arms on the ground and screaming,
"Get out! Get out, don't pester me!"
One update!
Here is the hierarchy of realms.
First to Seventh Order Beastman
— (Breakthrough to a Major Realm)
Half-King Tier
↓
True King Tier
↓
Peak King Beast
— (Breakthrough to a Major Realm)
Initial Emperor Tier
↓
True Emperor Tier
↓
Peak Emperor Beast
— (Breakthrough to a Major Realm)
Supreme Tier
↓
Mid-Supreme Tier
↓
Peak Supreme Realm
(Current Cap)
